NSW Government invests $340 million in quality teaching

The new Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2017-2020 covers student education from kindergarten until they complete their HSC.

The new Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2017-2020 covers student education from kindergarten until they complete their HSC.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said the new strategy was about helping students succeed with extra support where they need it.

“The skills of reading, writing and numeracy are crucial – particularly in the first few years of school. Everything a student achieves in school depends on a solid foundation in these skills,” Mr Baird said.

The NSW Literacy and Numeracy Strategy includes:

expert early intervention support for the literacy and numeracy skills of at-risk kindergarten to Year 2 students in nearly 700 schools

evidence-based literacy and numeracy progressions that map student learning from kindergarten to Year 10

‘Best Start’ Year 7 literacy and numeracy assessments on entry to high school to identify students needing additional assistance and plan the support they need to succeed

ensuring graduating primary and secondary teachers are better prepared to teach literacy and numeracy due to strengthened teacher education programs.

All literacy and numeracy skills in NSW schools will be taught explicitly and reported regularly so parents can understand their child’s progress and teachers can better identify areas needing improvement. Explicit teaching means teachers clearly show students what to do and how to do it, rather than having students discover or construct information for themselves.